Must see Movies

In this post I will list and discuss several movies which I think everyone should see this year. I believe that every truly good film must possess a couple very important aspects. The first being a life lesson, every movie which has gone down as a classic in the past has taught something to the viewers be it either through the dialogue or between the lines. For unless it shows the audience how to improve their lives even in a miniscule way it most likely won't be remembered for posterity. I'm not saying a film has to firmly lay out "don't steal" and "don't lie" motifs. Instead, it should at least possess subtle and possibly more obscure issues that are just as important. And although most of society already knows right from wrong, by addressing it in a movie many viewers will heed the message to improve their lives, done either consciously or unconsciously. Entertainment value is the second characteristic which every movie must have, if it's not interesting no one's going to watch. It's a rather simple concept. So after stating all the facts I can conclude that unless a film teaches a life lesson and is entertaining it probably isn't destined to become a classic. I say view a film that's interesting but also imparts some knowledge and wisdom, make sure to get something out of it if time is expended to watch.

War Movies

1. The Patriot

This film takes place in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War and revolves around The protagonist, Benjamin Martin, and his family. At the onset of war Ben is neutral and refuses to affiliate himself with one side at all. However, he quickly changes his stance after his son is murdered by a British officer, his house is burnt to the ground, and his eldest son (who is in the Continental Army) is captured and is sentenced to be hung as a spy. Once these events occur he vows revenge on the Britsh and emerges as a "Patriot". Realizing that the tyranny must end he decides to lend a helping hand to the cause of American Independence. Being a skilled fighter he wages many successful campaigns against his new adversaries but he also experiences grievous losses which make him rethink his choice. He struggles with the one question that we all face: What is worth fighting for?

The main theme in this movie is patriotism as the title suggests, but the story line also delves into the much more complex issue of sacrifice. The latter comes up quite frequently, and shows that it is necessary sometimes to give up the things that are most important in order to help the greater good.

2. Schindler's List

This movie ranks #8 out of the 100 Best Movies of All Time. I have seen a great many war films, but this one moved me the most after watching it. It is so well made that by the time it is over with the viewer can't help but feel incredibly empathetic towards the individuals who endured atrocities of the past.

The film is set in Nazis Germany during the Second World War and revolves around the main character Oskar Schindler. Being a prominent business man, Schindler at the beginning of the movie attempts to increase his fortune by using cheap labor in his factories. This so called cheap labor consists almost entirely of Jews who are basically slaves. He at first is ambivalent towards their situation; he dislikes seeing them wrongly persecuted but enjoys the money they make him. However, as the movie progresses and Schindler sees the savagery that most Nazis bestow upon the unfortunate Jews he can't help but feel repulsed by his country's actions. This is when he changes for the better and becomes a virtuous man. Since he has a factory that already employs the persecuted, he decides to try and obtain as many individuals as possible so they can escape the concentration camps and a horrible death. Using the factory as a cover, he successfully saves thousands of lives. By the end of the war and the movie for that matter, Oskar Schindler is an entirely new man and a hero, although he doesn't believe so. At the conclusion he starts to weep uncontrollably because he wasn't able to save more, it's quite a lofty display of regret.

This movie clearly shows the vile atrocities that men are capable of, but it in another respect it demonstrates that there is also a great deal of good in the world that is countering every move that evil can deal. It's an epic showdown between the two, and after many losses on both sides it's apparent that evil cannot win. Most importantly this movie shows that a righteous act no matter how small, can change the world. Lastly, the film tells us (the future generations) that we cannot under any circumstance let a tyrannical government that arbitrarily takes the lives of millions of innocent people ever arise again.

Comedies

3. Idiocracy

This movie is extremely entertaining and in certain ways it's somewhat stupid but it's a must see. By the end, the viewer will be horrified with what the future may bring not too long from now.

Near the beginning of the film the main character Joe Bauers is introduced. Later we find out that he is a librarian in the U.S. army. His job is incredibly easy and boring, just the way he likes it. But eventually the army reassigns him to a top secret experiment due to the fact that he is the most average man they possess. This "experiment" consists of Joe getting placed into a hibernation chamber for a year, the army wants to see if this type of technology is feasible. Apparently it's not, for Joe is completely forgotten, and instead of waking up a year later he finds himself 500 years in the future. After wandering around a huge derelict city for awhile and seeing all the "progress" he is utterly amazed. Joe along with most of the viewers would think that half a millenium from now mankind would be extremely advanced and sophisticated, but this is not the case. He discovers that everyone in the future is stupid and that they're struggling to survive. In fact, Joe, the most average man, is now the smartest person in the entire world. After getting arrested, tried in a sham court, and eventually thrown in jail, Joe is summoned by the President to solve humanity's problems. He then ascends to the rank of Secretary of the Interior, but President Comacho warns him that if he doesn't fix things there will be severe consequences. After struggling with some issues, Comacho sentences Joe to one night of "Rehabilitation" which is a mix between a wrestling death match and a monster struck show. Just as he is about to incinerated by a flame thrower Joe is pardoned after the president sees that he was right about everything. The entire stupid U.S. then loves Joe once more, and later on he becomes president himself. He ends up steering the world towards intellegence, but it's not easy. This once average man in the 21st century becomes the leader of the free world and all the morons that come with it.

What I just gave is highly brief and condensed synopsis, there's much more to it that I left out. And the things I have just related may sound strange, but in the context of the film it makes for some quality entertainment! And I forgot to mention that there's a time machine too, and Joe uses it! The prevailing theme here is that intellegence and knowledge shouldn't be taken for granted. This shows what can happen when people move away from both of these most essential aspects of wisdom. It's basically a warning to wake up and kill ignorance now before it can multiply and destroy the planet.

4. Yes Man

In this very funny comedy a mans life is completely changed for the better when he says the simple word "Yes!" to every question.

At the start of the movie, Carl Allen, a bank employee who is having trouble with his life struggles from day to day. He possesses a very distrusting and negative dispostion, so this causes him to have very little contact with people outside of work. And to make things worse he lies to his friends so he doesn't have to do anything with them. Essentially he says "No" to even events and activities that should be fun and enjoyable. As time passes an old friend suddenly appears at work one day and tells Carl that he should attend a "Yes!" Self-Improvement Seminar. His friend explains that this has given him a new life and so many unique opportunities. Skeptical at first, Carl brushes it off and doesn't plan on going. However, the more he thinks about it the more it grows on him and he decides to go and see what it's about. Once there, he thinks he has made a mistake going- it appears as a bit of a cult. But after much persuasion by the lead speaker he finally agrees to say "Yes!" to everything, no matter what it is. At first, the things he says "Yes" to seem only to cause him more problems, but later on he discovers that these "problems" in fact have helped him greatly. Later on he becomes addicted to it and can't stop saying "Yes" even when he should, this causes some strain on a new relationship he has just gotten into thanks in part to the "Yes!" Seminar. At the end of the film Carl finally achieves a balance between "Yes" and "No"; he then realizes how his life has improved since the start of things and is grateful for the new and improved attitude he gains.

The prevailing theme here is that everyone should be open to new ideas, even if they don't sound good at first at least give them a chance. For if nothing new is tried a boring monotonous life will be the result, and I doubt anyone wants that. So next time a person asks a question or a favor go out on a limb and take a risk. If the request is declined it is certain that the same boring routine will continue; make sure this never happens. Let new prospects in so your life can be elevated to a point where success and fulfillment will follow.

Adventure/Action Movies

5. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Despite this film's unusual title it is in fact highly rated. Just as one shouldn't judge a book by it's cover the same principle applies here as well. Surprisingly, it will probably be better than you might expect. And there's a unique twist that a majority of people miss while watching it for the first time, the entire thing is loosely based off of Homer's Odyssey. So many of the characters are very similar to those found in Homer's work, although sometimes it is hard to see considering this movie takes place thousands of years later.

The film is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression in a variety of locations throughout the state. The three main characters, Everett, Pete, and Delmar are recently escaped convicts that are on a quest to dig up 1.2 million dollars that Everett supposedly stole from an armored car. Over the course of their journey the three run into many obsctacles that slow them down and almost destroy their mission. But like the characters in the Odyssey they manage to make it over unsurmountable problems. A few of these obstacles worth mentioning are the following: KKK members, corrupt cops, bank robbers, develish politicians, and many others that are present in Homer's work. Later on as the movie progresses the three become incredibly successful folk singers which takes them by surprise, considering they only sang at first to make a quick buck. Once they gain fame the governor pardons them after the three help him with a reelection campaign. What I have failed to mention, however, is that Everett later reveals that there is no treasure. He never did rob an armored car, the true reason for the incarceration was because he practiced law without a license. And due to shame, Everett's wife divorced him. Eventually she would send her ex-husband a letter stating that she was going to marry another man. Everett could not allow this, so he was determined to prevent it and win back the woman he loved. In order for him to do this, he was forced to lie to Pete and Delamar so they would help him escape. After the truth is revealed some more complicated issues arise. I won't ruin the ending, but Everett does in fact get what he seeks but only after dodging a couple life threating situations which are on the strange side.

This movie like Homer's epic poem is about self discovery. It shows that over a long and arduous journey people can drastically change and once their destination is reached they no longer take things for granted. In effect, the theme here is that if one has enough perserverence and hope they can just about make it through any obstacle that prevents itself in the steep path of life.

By the way, if you have a fondness for cows I strongly advise against seeing this movie!

6. The Dark Knight

This non-stop action film will most definitely keep viewers on the edge of their seats for the entirety of its duration. One may at first think of it as just another dull super hero movie which happens to involve Batman, but there's much more to it than originally meets the eye. If it's carefully looked at many important principles and lessons will emerge that may move you.

The setting of The Dark Knight is in Gotham City, while the plot rotates around Batman and the Joker who are constanly at odds with one another. The movie is a battle between good and evil, Batman personifies the former and the Joker the latter. Essentially, the entire movie is one huge battle scene. The Joker basically just wants to introduce anarchy to the city and wreck havoc. He is completely void of empathy, therefore he tortures others in extremely horrible ways. All of the main characters in the film have been hurt by the Joker, and this takes a large toll on some of them. Thanks in part to this villain's delight of taking away people's loved ones, he manages to seriously mess some important individuals up. One such being Harvey Dent, the District Attorney, who is a crucial player for the side of good, he's second to only Batman. Towards the end of the movie after Batman defeats the Joker he also has to stop Harvey who has become a murderous vigilante. In the end, Harvey kills 6 individuals before he meets his own destruction after a struggle ensues between himself and Batman. Not caring about being a hero, Batman just wants to do what's right, so he takes full responsibilty for the killings that Harvey did. He doesn't want all the good that the late District Attorney performed to go to waste. And he certainly can't let the Joker win, since he is the reason why Harvey went bad. So after this cover up, Batman becomes hated and is a wanted man for the murders.

Besides being an intense action film, The Dark Knight also shows what it takes to be a real hero. Fame and acknowledgement for good deeds is not what makes a man one; instead, all that matters is doing what is right, no matter the consequences or hardships. For only when an individual can become righteous enough not to care about taking credit for these acts can one truly call themselves a "hero".

Each movie I have just discussed will hopefully become a classic one day, for they all possess qualities that make them truly unique. I advise everyone to make an attempt to see all six sometime this year. I guarantee that most if not all will be liked a great deal, and I can confidently say important life lessons will be learned. Films are manifestations of our inner desires, fears, hopes, and aspirations; so when watching one be sure to notice that the people who created them are trying to convey messages to the audience that will help mankind.